July 22, 2022
International Anthems Recording Co.
1xLP
Readers familiar with the International Anthem label will know that they consistently produce some of the most interesting and exciting music in jazz, often bending the genre and taking their sound to new and strange places. Carlos Niño, a prodigious musician and DJ who has collaborated on and produced innumerable band projects, radio shows, solo albums and whatever else a musician with busy hands might accomplish. Under the name Carlos Niño and Friends, the moniker of his most recent and ongoing project, he made his International Anthem debut in 2021 with More Energy Fields, Current. His newest album, Extra Presence, feels like an elaboration of More Energy, which can only be described as something of a 90 minute sonic journey through space and time. The album itself is an expansion of the 2020 self released Actual Presence, which now boasts heavy hitters like Laraaji, Shabazz Palaces and label-mate Jamire Williams amongst others. Blending spiritual free-jazz, ambient, and hip-hop, the album meanders along, ebbing and flowing through a condensed eternity. What his friends bring to the table are arresting musical flourishes, peppered throughout, while Niño’s evocative soundscapes provide ample time to reflect, catch your breath and be lifted as if by a pair of feathered wings. Another can’t miss jewel in the crown for International Anthem.